‘Inside Out 2’ Director Kelsey Mann Reacts to the Film’s Oscar Nomination
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for the 97th Academy Awards this morning, and The Walt Disney Company was well represented.
While Searchlight Picture’s A Complete Unkown was the big winner, earning eight nominations, Pixar also has reason to celebrate — Inside Out 2 was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Animated Feature category.
Although it is perhaps unsurprising that the highest-grossing animated film would be nominated for the medium’s most prestigious award, for director Kelsey Mann, waiting for the Academy’s announcement was nerve-wracking.


Image: Pixar
“I’m normally used to having Anxiety drive me at night when something is coming the next morning, but I found that not only was she at the controls, but Joy was there too,” he told Deadline. “I was really excited to get up and hear what possibly could happen.”
Continuing Pixar’s Legacy
For Mann, the Academy’s recognition was important as it was his first Oscar nomination. Perhaps more importantly, however, it also meant that he lived up to Pixar’s standards.


Source: Pixar.fandom.com
“There’s always high expectations for any film that we do at Pixar, but to do one that’s a follow up to a film that everybody loves so dearly. The first ‘Inside Out’ taps into a very deep personal side to people. To be able to continue that to an even deeper level was quite an honor.”
According to Mann, the pressure of following up on the beloved Inside Out helped him relate to the film’s new star, Anxiety.


Image: Pixar
“Anxiety was a really hard character to come up with, technically, design-wise and really character-wise. She went through many different versions to end with the one we ended with. What Maya Hawke brought to it was absolutely paramount and so helpful to making the character so appealing and relatable.”


Image: Pixar
Inside Out 2 is streaming now on Disney+.
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